To the Los Angeles Kings players, their Sept. 24 preseason contest in Utah was a solid experience – a chance to get away from home, hit some golf balls the day before, get in a good practice, eat a nice meal and work on their game against the Vancouver Canucks.

“It was fun,” defenseman Jake Muzzin said. “I mean, we had a great time in Utah.”

To Kings management, it was a chance to give the team’s supporters a bit of a changeup, since the preseason can get dull with games that don’t count in the standings.

“I would definitely call it a neutral site game. I like it because I don’t want to do four preseason games at Staples Center,” team president Luc Robitaille said. “I don’t think (our fans) would like that.”

But the game presented something more important. It was a test run to a degree of Salt Lake City as a replacement to the Frozen Fury, L.A.’s annual preseason game in Las Vegas that was held from 1997 to...